After a 15-year closure, Kenya has reopened its border with Somalia to resume road exports of miraa (khat). The decision, approved by the National Security Council (NSC), aims to boost trade, though some farmers and traders express significant concerns about insecurity on the road routes.

• Approximately 40 tonnes of miraa are currently exported by air via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, with projections for significant increases through road trade.
• Mr. Adamson Muriki, patron of the Igembe Miraa Farmers and Pluckers Welfare Association, criticised the reopening, citing recent losses due to insecurity at the Kiunga border point.
• The reopening is also expected to disrupt a faceless cartel that has allegedly controlled air cargo and demanded up to USD9 upfront commissions at the airport for the past five years.

Kenyan business lobby groups, including KAM and KEPSA, have welcomed the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to December 31, 2026, following its reauthorization by U.S. President Donald Trump. This move is expected to alleviate uncertainty for exporters, protect numerous jobs, and enhance Kenya’s access to the U.S. market, despite the extension being shorter than initially hoped.

• The AGOA extension safeguards over 66,000 jobs, particularly in the apparel, textile, and agribusiness sectors.
• KEPSA Chief Executive Officer Carole Kariuki highlighted the immediate certainty this act provides for investor confidence and job protection.
• In 2024, Kenya exported approximately $470 million (Sh61 billion) worth of apparel to the U.S. under AGOA, supporting nearly 800,000 livelihoods.
• KAM Chief Executive Tobias Alando urged both governments to conclude negotiations for a long-term Kenya–U.S. bilateral trade agreement to build on these gains.

Trade between Kenya and the United Kingdom reached a record high of Sh360 billion in the third quarter of 2025, marking the second consecutive quarter at this unprecedented level.

• Kenya's exports to the UK, primarily consisting of tea, coffee, and horticultural products, accounted for nearly 70 percent of total exports.
• The record figures followed the first UK–Kenya Business Forum in Nairobi on January 22, bringing together over 200 businesses and nearly 400 participants.
• Trade and Investment Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui stated that the sustained trade underscores the growing confidence of UK businesses in Kenya as a trade and investment partner.
• Despite the growth, Kenya's export mix remains heavily reliant on agricultural commodities, a strategic challenge for Nairobi's economic planners.